82786: It is makrooh to give a child the name Malak (“angel”)

Allaah has blessed us with a daughter and we called her Malak (“angel”). Is there anything makrooh in giving her this name? What is the Islamic ruling on that?.

Praise be to Allaah.

It is
makrooh to use the name Malak or Malaak, and what you should do is change
the name to one that is good and is not regarded as makrooh in sharee’ah.

Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about giving the names
Abraar, Malaak, Eemaan and Jibreel.

He replied:
The names Abraar, Malaak, Eemaan and Jibreel should not be used. End quote
from Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (3/67).

Shaykh ‘Abd
al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (may Allaah preserve him) was asked about calling a
girl Malaak and he said: It is better not to do it, for two reasons:

1-
What is meant by Malaak is
malak (angel), and there is exaggeration in giving someone this name.

2-
It is a name that is well known
among the (Arab) Christians, who are the ones who say malaak for
malak. There are so many good names with which there is no problem, that
there is no need to use names that are dubious or problematic. End quote.

Shaykh Bakr
ibn ‘Abd-Allaah Abu Zayd (may Allaah preserve him) said: As for giving women
the names of angels, it seems that this is haraam, because it is like the
way of the mushrikeen who regarded the angels as daughters of Allaah,
exalted be Allaah above what they say. Something similar may be said about
calling girls Malaak, Malakah and Malak (all meaning angels). End quote from
Mu’jam al-Manaahi al-Lafziyyah, p. 565.